


Letting Go

by Darklions3429



Category: Xenoblade Chronicles
Genre: Acceptance, F/M, Heartbreak, I'm Still Bad At Tagging, Melia needs a win for once goddammit, Post-Endgame spoilers, Sad Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:55:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28098798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darklions3429/pseuds/Darklions3429
Summary: Melia has feelings for a certain Monado-wielder that she has to come to terms with.
Relationships: Fiora/Shulk (Xenoblade Chronicles), Melia Ancient | Melia Antiqua/Shulk
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7





	Letting Go

For the second time in recent times, Melia found herself crying. She was curled up in her bed like a small child, sobbing, her pillow becoming soaked in tears as her body shuddered with each breath, headwings twitching with each sniffle. The first time was over the death of her father atop Prison Island. This time, it was about another man in her life. He wasn’t related to her by blood, but he was a huge part of her life regardless. His name was Shulk.

Shulk was an interesting Homs. He wasn’t rough, tough, and burly like Reyn was, but he wasn’t overly skinny by any means. Still, he could hold his ground alongside Reyn in a fight and was exceptionally deft with the Monado and ferocious in spirit. Compared to someone like Dunban however, he was an inexperienced fighter. He made up for his lack of raw fighting skill with his mind. He was a very intelligent Homs, and he showed that with how he strategized with himself and his teammates in battle. Due to that, the party was able to quickly dispatch any foe that they came across, no matter how strong it was. 

To contrast his strong will and fighting nature, Shulk was also exceedingly kind. He was the first face that she saw when she was awoken in Makna Forest and his was the first voice that her senses picked up. He was also the first to make sure that she was okay. Sure, it had been Sharla who had loaded the ether cartridge into her rifle and healed her, but in her head, Melia associated the event with Shulk. 

Shulk, Shulk, Shulk. Why couldn’t she get his name out of her head? Day by day, her thoughts have been plagued with his name, voice, scent, presence, and everything related to him. Every time she turned a corner, she hoped to see his blue eyes meet her to exchange a smile in a greeting.

That smile. That damn smile. It always caught her off guard whenever she was confronted with it. It was so warm, so gentle, and so full of life. The way he closed his eyes when he laughed filled her heart to the brim and Melia found that it brought a pleasant glow to her own cheeks. 

Privately, she fantasized to herself about a future with Shulk, as would any girl her age. She imagined his hand in hers, Shulk’s rough and calloused hands from constantly tinkering with machines and using the Monado fitting perfectly into hers. She imagined him picking her up in his arms and holding her close, putting a catch in her throat as she pulled herself toward him with her arms around his neck. She imagined his warmth enveloping her as he held her tight under the covers, drifting off to sleep.

All of those were just fantasies, though. She doubted that Shulk felt the same way about her; he was just that nice to everyone. She stuffed those thoughts away in the back of her mind as best as she could. However, in moments of rest during her adventures with Shulk and his party, she would sometimes indulge herself in those hopeful idealizations. 

As time went on, however, and Shulk faced his final maker and got his friend back, her heart felt heavier and heavier. She saw Shulk truly smiling when he was with Fiora, laughing and teasing each other. She saw Shulk happy, and it tore into her, ripping her to shreds. Why? He’s happy! Why did she feel such… contempt? Heat? Longing? Days, weeks, of turmoil passed, and Melia asked herself over and over again, why? Why did she feel such powerful emotions when the one she loved was happy? 

Begrudgingly, she came to an answer that she did not want to come to terms with. She was jealous. Terribly jealous. Jealous of Fiora. Jealous of their past. Jealous of their relationship, their closeness, their… well, everything. She was jealous and she hated herself for it. Every bit of it. Thus began her silent war. 

One part of her wanted Shulk to be happy with whomever he was to be with. The other part of her wanted to squeeze between Shulk and Fiora, take Fiora out of the equation. The darker, selfish side of her, unbefitting of a ruler. She fought with herself, day in, day out, and the party members eventually took notice. Especially Shulk. He was always the first to ask if someone was alright. She downplayed everything, saying that she was okay, she was just worried about her empire and all, and what it would take to reconstruct that which got destroyed by the Mechon. Her party members bought the excuse, leaving her to continue to stew at her own emotions. 

The party revisited Prison Island once again, and Melia was fed up, having botted up what she was feeling for far too long. She pulled Sharla aside after helping to set up camp and Melia confided in her. All of the rampant thoughts plaguing her came pouring out and she made a simple, final, yet difficult decision. She was going to give up on Shulk. She decided to be happy that Shulk was happy, and that was that. A few days later, and the party found themselves in Alcamoth once again to rest. Melia excused herself and she went up to her chambers in the Imperial Villa, where she promptly collapsed on her bed.

For the second time in recent times, Melia found herself crying. She was curled up in her bed like a small child, sobbing, her pillow becoming soaked in tears as her body shuddered with each breath, headwings twitching with each sniffle. Her heart was shattered into a million pieces, her stomach flip-flopping like the Eryth Sea in the midst of a storm. 

Eventually, her sobbing subsided into hiccups and she became lost in thought. Melia reflected on her situation, and determined that she had made the right decision for herself. Her energy sapped from lifting a heavy weight off of her shoulders, she drifted into a fast and dreamless sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I've been playing the hell out of Xenoblade Chronicles 1 and I fell in love with Melia and Shulk's relationship. I felt inspired and wanted to write for them, so here we are! There'll be perhaps a happier ending for ol' Melia once I finish the game.
> 
> Enjoy for now!


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